L. R. Laffitte Watercolor after Bodmer – “Kiasax” (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 10)

$449.75

La Roche Laffitte (French, b. 1943). After Johann Carl Bodmer also known as Karl Bodmer (Swiss-French, 1809-1893). “Kiasax, a Piegen Blackfeet Warrior” watercolor on silk, n.d. Signed at lower right. A luminous watercolor on silk by La Roche Laffitte, this work reinterprets Johann Carl Bodmer’s celebrated portrait of Kiasax, a Piegan (Blackfeet) warrior, translating one of the most enduring images of Plains identity into a softer, more atmospheric language. Shown in profile, the figure is wrapped in a broad striped robe, his long hair braided and bound, with a staff or lance resting across his shoulders. Bold red face paint and carefully observed adornment lend the portrait its ceremonial presence, while the pale, open ground gives the figure a quiet, almost suspended stillness. In contrast to Bodmer’s original print – prized for its crisp line, descriptive exactitude, and ethnographic clarity – Laffitte’s watercolor favors tonal nuance and the gentle breathing of pigment into silk. Size: 21″ W x 30.75″ H (53.3 cm x 78.1 cm)

Edges blur slightly, shadows melt into the support, and details such as textile patterning, facial modeling, and surface ornament are simplified into suggestion rather than sharply defined record. The figure becomes less diagrammatic and more human, less a plate in an illustrated atlas and more a solitary presence in space.

Laffitte also departs from Bodmer’s original through color handling and atmosphere. The robe’s stripes, for example, are rendered with softened transitions and muted warmth, while the background is stripped of the light shadowing seen in Bodmer’s, emphasizing silhouette and mood over documentary environment. The result is not a strict reproduction, but a modern homage – one that honors Bodmer’s vision while shifting it into a quieter, more contemplative register shaped by translucency, restraint, and the distinctive poetry of watercolor on silk.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; Private collection of a Private Colorado Family

Condition: Good. Silk mounted on handmade paper. Some wrinkling, fraying, and creases to paper with a few small areas of discoloring. Otherwise, watercolor is in very good condition with signature at lower right.